Vox
by Silvan Arown Elendal
Summary: When a new, not exactly human visitor arrives in the middle of the night, Harry knows there's trouble brewing, but snake boy isn't making things any easier...Updated 24-02-05 - Memories and magic awaken.
1. Lights Out

Vox  
A Harry Potter Fanfic by Silvan. A. E  
  
Chapter 1: Lights Out  
  
"Lumos," whispered Ron, shinning his wand out over the grass. "We should know our was to Hagrid's by now, we've been doing this for almost six years."  
  
Harry sighed and pulled his invisibility cloak tighter about them. It was late November and the snow lay thick on the grounds, impeding their progress to Hagrid's cabin. It was also 11 o'clock at night, which didn't help.  
  
Recently they had got into the habit of seeing Hagrid late at night, outside movement had been banned, due to the very early blizzards which were unpredictable and dangerous. But they had to go to see their giant friend. Hedwig had come back a few days ago and was unable to fly to the castle on her injured wing, so Ron and Harry were going to collect her. They shuffled through the calf deep snow to get to Hagrid's.  
  
"Hagrid!" Harry called, "Let us in!"  
  
The giant man, complete with bushy black beard and shining eyes, opened the door.  
  
"Is that you? Get inside!"  
  
It was warm inside the cabin, the huge fire burning merrily, Fang slobbering all over them.  
  
"Hedwig!" Cried Harry, scooping the white owl into his arms, "Thanks for taking care of her Hagrid."  
  
Hagrid smiled.  
  
"No call for that Harry, but you two better be getting back now, I'm not happy with you both coming out so late."  
  
"Yes Hagrid." They chimed.  
  
"Go on off now, I'll see you for lessons when the storms lay off a bit."  
  
They were on their way back, Hedwig held close to Harry's chest. The moon shone bright, making Ron's wandlight practically useless. Harry heard Ron yawn, and then yawned himself, it really was infectious, he mused to himself. They were at the castle steps now.  
  
"Nox," muttered Ron as his wand went out.  
  
As he said the word there was a soft falling sound directly behind them. The two boys froze. There was something in the snow behind them and neither of them wanted to know, but, unable to resist, and fighting every urge to run, they turned. What they saw took their breath away.  
  
Someone was lying in the snow, and only his and Ron's footprints were visible, how had the person got there? They edged closer.  
  
The person in question was defiantly not human, one glance told them that. It looked like a boy, about 16, lying on the ground wearing the ripped remnants of trousers and a cloak. The boy's skin was a pale green, and it was not skin, it was scales, snake scales. They covered all of him, growing smaller and paler over his face. His feet were bare and he had no toes, his feet looked like he was wearing socks, with no individual digits. His fingers were long and webbed, his hair, shoulder length and an odd greenish gold colour. Hius scales were smooth and uninteruppeted across his chest and arms. He had no navel. His eyes were closed, but his partially open mouth showed pointed fangs.  
  
Harry knelt beside the creature. It, or he, let out a gentle, weak hiss. And Harry, with his gift of parcel tongue, clearly heard the word:  
  
ouch. 


	2. No name

Chapter 2: No name  
  
Harry and Ron were back in the common room. It was morning, and the unconscious snake boy was safely installed in the hospital wing. News of the new creature had spread fast, and rumours were thick in the air.  
  
"I heard it's got no legs and only a tail!"  
  
"They had to fight it to bring it in!"  
  
"It can spit poison!"  
  
Pure fabrication, the lot of it. Ron and Harry had simply picked up the creature and taken it to Madame Pomfrey, calling Professor Dumbledor as they did so.  
  
After lunch, Harry, Ron and Hermione, keen to see the new arrival, went to go visit the snake boy. Madame Pomfrey met them at the door.  
  
"I'm sorry," She said, "But no new students can be admitted to see the anomaly. Only Harry and Ron may enter. If the creature wakes, we do not wish to shock it."  
  
"I'm in no hurry," said Ron, "I'll go back with Hermione."  
  
So it was only Harry who entered.  
  
The snake creature lay in one of the beds, crisp white sheets pulled up to its chest, arms resting over the top. The scales were greenish grey, but looked as though they should be brighter. Its eyes were closed now, but Harry could still see the sharp fangs in its partly open mouth.  
  
Harry stepped closer, wondering what he should do. He sat on the chair and Madam Pomfrey left him. Harry watched the rise and fall of the snake boy's chest. He felt some connection with it, somehow.  
  
Just then the creatures eyes flickered open, a pair of pupil-less round jade disc's focused on Harry.  
  
"Where am I?" came the snake like hiss.  
  
"Safe," Harry hissed in reply.  
  
"Safe," hissed the creature as it's eyes closed again.  
  
* The creature's eyes flicked open. It focused on the face of the boy who had rescued it.  
  
"Where is this safe?" it asked.  
  
"Hogwarts. It's a school"  
  
"You are wizard?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"You wizard teacher?"  
  
The human laughed.  
  
"No, wizard student."  
  
The creature closed its eyes again for another few days sleep.  
  
*  
  
Both Harry and Ron were there when the snake boy re-opened its jade eyes.  
  
"Hello, student wizard." It hissed.  
  
"What'd it say?" asked Ron.  
  
"He speaks parcel tongue like me. Hello"  
  
"What is your name?" asked the snake boy.  
  
"I am Harry Potter."  
  
"Thank you Harry Potter, student wizard."  
  
"Come on, let's get back to Griffindor tower" Ron said. He was nervous of the hissing beast, memories of the basilisk to clear in his mind.  
  
"What is your name?" Asked Harry, but the creature had already closed its eyes.  
  
*  
  
Harry was sitting in the common room when it happened. It was close to 7 o'clock and there were plenty of people sitting chatting and doing homework. Suddenly a 4th year student burst through the portrait hole yelling.  
  
"There's a monster trying to get in!"  
  
Several people screamed.  
  
"It's a huge thing like a snake, it keeps yelling and hissing."  
  
Harry sat bolt upright. Snake boy.  
  
Harry got up and went over to the portrait hole, it opened for him and suddenly the snake boy came bounding through, knocking Harry over and ending up pinning him to the floor.  
  
"Harry!"  
  
"What the-? Get off!" Yelled Harry.  
  
The snake boy let him up, then hung his head.  
  
"Sorry"  
  
"What are you doing out of the hospital wing?"  
  
"Bad lady hurt. Horrid stinging liquid!"  
  
Harry looked at him, aware that everyone was staring at the half naked snake creature.  
  
"Come on, let's get you back."  
  
Harry, helped by Ron, got the creature out of the portrait hole and down to the hospital wing. When they got there it transpired that all Madam Pomfrey had tried to do was get him to hold still while she healed the long wound on his back.  
  
The half inch wide slit ran from his left shoulder to his right hip, and he had no idea how he got it, and it didn't seem to hurt him.  
  
"I've tried everything I could think of, his body just doesn't take to our healing methods. We could try muggle stitches, but they are a little crude, and I've never done them."  
  
"I have." The speaker was a young woman, about 20 with long brown hair tied back. "Melany." Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Melany is an ex student, she was in Ravenclaw. She's been working in St. Mungo's and has come back here for some work experience."  
  
Melany smiled.  
  
"I'll stitch up your friend if he'll stay still for me."  
  
Harry turned to the snake boy.  
  
"Now-...What is your name?"  
  
The other stared blankly at him.  
  
"Never mind!" Harry shook his head, "Will you hold still while Melany heals your wound?"  
  
"No stinging liquid?"  
  
"None."  
  
"Okay!"  
  
*  
  
Snake boy sat on a high steel table while Melany stitched his back. Harry held the boy's wrists to stop him jerking them too much. Every insert of the needle into the un-sedated patients scaly skin caused him to jerk and wince in pain, but he didn't make a sound. Melany spoke constantly to the both of them, telling her about her patients in St' Mungo's and some of the funny stories she had heard there.  
  
"You know," she said, "You're much braver than any of them. I've never seen a patient so quiet. Most of them rant and rave constantly. It's rather nice to have a quiet one for a change."  
  
It took 2 hours and 33 stitches to sew up the wound in the snake boy's back. Then he was given a warm drink and settled down on his side in a bed.  
  
"Hey," said Harry, "What's your name?"  
  
The snake boy stared at him as though he didn't understand the question.  
  
"What are you called?" asked Harry.  
  
The snake boy sighed.  
  
"We are called Vox." Then he fell asleep once more. 


	3. A Second Sorting

Chapter 3: A Second Sorting

That day Professor Dumbledore arrived in the Hospital Wing to see the newly named Vox for the first time while the snake boy had been awake. He was looking healthier, his scales a deep lustrous green, amber eyes watchful and alert. He sat up in bed dressed in a spare black robe that had been located for him, talking vividly to Harry who was sat on the edge of the bed, listening to him. While it had been established that the creature had a reasonable command of English, the language that flowed forth from thin lips was none other than the hiss of parcel tongue. It was also obvious that the creature had been made to take a shower of sorts as there was a towel over his shoulders and his golden green hair was clean and dripping.

The old wizard stood, hands clasped in front of him and watched the pair, unobserved until Vox's eyes lighted on him and a surprised expression came over his face. Harry turned too and smiled.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sir," He then turned to hiss something at his companion who raised an eyebrow in surprised and muttered something.

"What did he say Harry?"

The black haired wizard smiled.

"Vox wants to know why you're here. He's surprised that the Headmaster would come to visit him."

"Well Harry, if you would act as our translator," He boy nodded, "I shall explain. Vox, do you know anything of where you came from, or how you got here?"

Harry began speaking parcel tongue and they waited for the snake to reply.

"There was lots of smoke. The world was burning. I was scared. I wanted to be somewhere the fire couldn't hurt me, somewhere cold. And then I was here."

"Most interesting," said Dumbledore after Harry had explained, "There is nothing else?"

"Nothing." Confirmed Harry.

"I would like to invite him to join the school."

Harry blinked.

"Sir?"

"Translate it Harry."

"_He wants you to join the school."_

"_I will be with you?"_

"Maybe."

Vox turned to look up at the old man with wide amber eyes.

"Yes."

The sorting was arranged for the next evening and the whole school sat in the Great Hall, hushed as the stool was brought in and the Hat was placed on top of it. Vox was lead in by Harry who left him on the platform and went to go and sit down with Ron and Hermione, who, like the whole of the rest of the school, was straining to get a good look at the boy. Vox stood on the platform shivering in his long black robe, barefoot and scared. Amber eyes pleaded with Harry not to leave him standing there, looking out at hundreds of not entirely friendly faces.

He was saved by Professor McGonagall who came forwards from the teacher's table and lifted the hat from the stool and motioned for him to sit down. Vox sat, still looking very scared, more so than any of the first years from whom he was getting the most odd stares, then disappeared as the hat was placed on his head and it slipped down over his eyes.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

"_Who are you?"_ The frantic hiss was uttered out loud and was heard by all, but thankfully, was only understood by Harry.

"I am the Sorting Hat. It is my job to put you into your new house."

"I want to be with Harry."

He hat chuckled in the privacy of Vox's head.

"Ah, a friend of the infamous Harry Potter. Well, let's see. Courage yes, but you are a deceptive sort………I think you would do best in SLYTHERIN."

The last word was heard by all and Vox merely sat there, surrounded by the silent black hat until it was yanked off his head and he stood up. Lead by theHeadmaster, everyone clapped politely and the nearest on the Slytherin table waved to their newest member. Vox just stood, looking slightly scared and appealed to Harry with pleading eyes.

Harry could only shake his head, even as Vox stepped down off the platform, odd formed bare feet making soft noises against the wooden floor. He paused and turned to face Harry.

"_I don't understand."_

"_You have to go over there."_ Harry gestured to the Slytherin table, the clapping had stopped now and everyone was staring at the student who seemed unable to see the obvious.

"_Why?"_

"_The Hat said so."_

"What's wrong? A Slytherin seventh year was looking directly at the snake boy, "Can't he find his own way over here?"

"_Vox. Go sit down."_

"_But Harry-"_

"Just do it."

The snake boy flinched at the human words, used so harshly by the one he had though was his friend, but he dropped his gaze and walked over to the Slytherin table, sliding into the space that had been made for him, right next to Malfoy. Harry looked pointedly at his plate and refused to give anyone an explanation for the rest of the evening.


	4. Going Underground

Chapter 4: Going Underground

After the meal had finished, Dumbledore made a few announcements, and let the students go. Harry let quickly, followed by a worried Ron and a confused Hermione.

"I thought he was your friend?" said the latter as they began to ascend the stairs ahead of the students below them.

Harry turned around, a retort on his lips, but he stopped. Down in the thronging mass of students below was one face staring up at him wide, hurt amber eyes. Harry tore his gaze away and ran upstairs without another word.

In the Gryffindor common room Harry sat down in a chair by the fire and waited as Ron and Hermione grabbed seats and drew closer for some kind of explanation for his irrational behaviour.

The truth was Harry hated speaking parcel tongue, ever since the big thing in his second year when the whole school found out he could talk to snakes and all the rumours about him and some connection with Voldemort. To have some snake appeal to him in front of the entire school and to find himself answering in the language he abhorred was just too embarrassing. He should have known that the snake boy would end up in Slytherin, he was the very epitome of their emblem. Harry just told Ron and Hermione some of this and went to bed early.

Vox stood in the entrance hall until every other living creature had gone from the place, then he tucked himself behind one of the big suits of armour and drew his robes over his knees. He blinked a couple of times, trying to make the feelings go away, and found hot tears coursing down his cheeks. He'd been abandoned, again. He couldn't shake the expression on Harry's face when he'd told him to go. No one had told him what was expected of him, and the looks on all their faces as though he was some kind of freak, all the same looks that Vox had seen before.

He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there, small and silent and lost in his own misery when the other found him. Out of sight and crying quietly he hadn't seen the pale haired boy come up from the dungeons, or pace his way around the room, searching behind every statue and in every hiding place.

A slice of face appeared in the thin gap Vox had left between the niche in the wall and the suit of metal. He looked up, scared at being found and backed away as far as he could get into the wall.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the voice was calm gentle and soft, "Come out and let me see you."

Carefully Vox pushed back the suit of armour and got up, almost unsteadily, to his feet. His head remained bowed and he stared at the floor.

"What's wrong?" A hand appeared in his downward vision, catching him under the chin and pulling his face up, "I said I wasn't going to hurt you."

Finally the snake boy forced himself to look at the one who had found him, to see who had placed such soft skin against his scales in such a rough gesture. The other boy was just a little shorter than him, only barely, with pale skin and white blond hair. Steel grey eyes regarded him for a second, sweeping over his figure, before the thin lipped mouth smiled, approving, and steel softened to ash in that gesture.

"You shouldn't be hiding."

Vox merely mumbled something indistinct in parcel tongue.

The boy shook his head, still smiling.

"I'm sorry. I can't understand you," He took his hand from Vox's chin and caught the snake boy's bare hand, "I'm Draco."

"Vox."

"C'mon, let's get you to the dorms."

Draco led the green-scaled creature down the bare stone steps with barely contained wonderment. Nowhere had he seen or heard of anything like this creature, this most unusual snake. The boy walked beside Draco in total silence, as if no thoughts or questions past through him. His feet were bare, and they looked like he was wearing snakeskin socks, no toes. He hand in his was cool and clean and smooth like silk or satin. Golden green long delicate fingers without finger nails, but with thin semi transparent webbing up to the middle joint. His hair, the same hue as his skin but of darker hues hung around the collar of the plain robes, falling in his face and hiding those pretty amber eyes.

The Slytherin slipped down the corridors in near silence and lead Vox down to the great doors that lead into the common room. At the password the doors opened to reveal the long Slytherin common room, a low ceilinged affair with dark wood panelling and torches in brackets along the walls. The temperature dropped inside the room, a pleasant chill at which Draco smiled. Vox shivered.

"Cold?"

A nod was the only answer he got.

It was late and there were very few people in the common room and those that were there were involved in deep conversation with their friends. Draco brought Vox forwards to the great fire and sat the boy in front of it. Vox shuffled closer to the fire, then shocked Draco into a startled noise when he put his hands in it.

"What are you doing?" Draco grabbed Vox by the wrists and hauled him away from the flames, snake scales and thin hands slipped under his grip.

"It's freezing!"

Stunned to actually hear something in English from the other, Draco let him go and then spluttered as Vox put his hands back in the fire.

"How can you do that?"

"Flame proof." Was the one word explanation.

Grey eyes widened in surprise. When the boy finally took his hands from the flames and looked to Draco the latter stood. The common room was empty, everyone had gone to bed.

"Come on."

"Where?"

Draco almost threw his hands up in despair, what was he gong to do with the creature? Snape had asked him to take care of the boy, show him the ropes, and Draco was willing enough, The other fascinated him, and he was very easy on the eyes. Whip thin lithe figure, emphasized rather than hidden under the robes. Small shoulders, and delicate looking, but with an odd air of strength.

"Our dorm."

"Our?"

"Yeah. All the each year has two dorms, one for girls, one for guys." He turned back to Vox to see that the boy had stopped stock still in front of the fire, staring at him with wide, scared eyes.

"Vox? What are you scared of?"

"People." It was almost a hiss, low and quiet.

Draco stepped forwards and took his hand.

"I told you. No one's going to hurt you. Now come."

The snake boy shook his head, hair covering his face in a ragged curtain.

"Vox…" Draco's voice, and his eyes, were like steel again.

"No."

"Fine!" Draco snapped. His patience was out and showing a newcomer the ropes was not supposed to be this complicated. He turned on his heels with a whirl of fabric and stormed out of the room.

Down the long dark steps to the dorms, past many other doors, his steps became softer, but his mood did not improve until he reached the sixth year dormitory. There were five beds now, two held the gently snoring hulks of Crabbe and Goyle; one was new, with a neatly made un-touched bed and a brand new trunk which probably contained what Vox would need for the year; next to it was his own, half made bed and next to that was Blaise's bed, containing his slender black haired sleeping form. Draco stood in front of his own bed for a moment before peeling out of his clothes, showing off a nicely formed figure to the shadows. He slipped into a pair of thin cotton sleeping shorts and slid into bed. In the darkness, deep green turned to black and the only thing to be seen was the white shock of Draco's hair fanned out on the pillow as his tucked the covers up around his neck.

Not more than a quarter of an hour later he was shaken out of his state of half sleep by the sound of soft padding on the stairs and a hissing as someone bumped into the door. Someone turned out to be Vox as Draco sat up, kicking the drape at the end of his bed aside with his foot to see the snake boy spill through the door. For a moment, Draco wondered why he could see the figureso clearly, until he realised that with him, Vox had brought light, a little ball of flame in his cupped palms.

"How many doors did you need to burst through before you found us?" He asked with a sarcastic drawl.

"None."

Draco raised an eyebrow in surprise, disbelief written all over his smooth pale features.

"Smelt you." Vox took a small breath through his nose and smiled, "Know you're scent."

Draco nodded.

"That's yours," He gestured to the bed next to his, drapes open and unoccupied, "And turn that light out. You'll wake everyone."

"But it's so cold!" Vox complained in a small voice. He looked almost pitiful.

Draco hissed through his teeth and Vox blanched, if that was possible, giving Draco cause to wonder what he had just said.

"If you're cold, get into bed."

The snake boy hesitated another minute before covering over the flame in his hands, putting it out. He went to his bed and shucked out of his robes, leaving the cloth in a puddle on the floor. In the after glow of the flames, Draco could see Vox's figure, as slender and pretty as he had expected and watched as Vox stretched. He could see the long stitched up scaron his back and another, smaller scar right at the bottom of his spine, circular, like something from there had been removed.

Naked in the shadows Vox hung his head and relaxed his shoulders. He felt so tired suddenly. He got into bed in silence and rolled over to see Draco's face staring at him. With the smallest of sounds he gulped un-easily and rolled back over.

Darkness seeped in, and it brought cold with it. Vox shivered for a long while, wrapping his blankets as tight as he could around himself. Still he was cold and he lay awake, listening to the sounds of humans sleeping around him. He explored the scents in the room and his head kept coming back to Draco's. A soft scent like rosewood soap and jasmine, or some other exotic flower. Rich. Some people just had it bred into them.

And still he shivered.


	5. Frozen Fire

Chapter 5: Frozen Flames

Draco was woken by the certain knowledge that it was time to get up, he never needed an alarm to wake him. However not twenty seconds later three alarms went off in the small underground chamber. Unsurprisingly Blaise was the fastest to react and halted the incessant bleeping before sitting up and offering a sleepy smile to Draco while he flicked floppy black hair out of his face and rubbed sleep from his eyes.

"Morning Draco. When did you get back?"

"Too late for my liking," Grumbled the blonde haired boy before he reached across to push at the bundle of blankets that was Vox, "Come on Vox, it's time for class."

Getting no response, Draco shrugged, got up and began to get dressed. By that time Crabbe and Goyle had managed to drag themselves awake and wander off to the bathrooms. Blaise looked over at the snake boy with some interest while he pulled on his robes, and when he was finally dressed went over to the still sleeping bundle in the other bed. He leapt back with a colourful curse.

"Draco! Draco, he's frozen!"

The blonde boy frowned deeply and went over to the bed. Vox lay curled beneath as much of his blankets as he could, green-gold eyes open. Draco laid a hand on his cheek. He scales under his fingers were cold, like dead ice cold. Frozen.

"Quick!" Draco surprised himself with how worried he was as he bent over and lifted the snake boy, and some of the blankets from the bed. Vox hardly weighed anything, and it was getting hard to believe that he was even alive. With Blaise holding all the doors open, Draco carried Vox up the stairs and surprised everyone in the common room with their appearance. Draco wasted no time in going to the hearth, and then, with only a second's hesitation, he deposited Vox in the flames, whisking away the blankets and his arms before they had the chance to get burned.

"What are you doing!"

"It's OK. He's immune to fire."

"What?"

It was about then that the thin film over Vox's eyes slid back and the happy green gaze met theirs. Vox smiled and Draco let out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding. Vox let out a low hiss and let his body stretch in the flames. Eventually he sighed and got up. Draco wrapped the blankets around him.

"You had me really worried!"

"Good morning Draco. I told you I was cold."

Draco's grey eyes widened in astonishment. All around him, people were asking questions. But he ignored them.

"Cold?" he echoed, "You didn't warn me you were gonna freeze!"

Vox just gave him an little, enigmatic smile.

Harry got to see his friend at breakfast that morning, although he seriously considered skipping the meal in order to avoid having to talk to the snake boy. Ron wouln't hear of it, and he and Hermione fairly dragged Harry into the Great Hall.

Most of the Slytherins were already thee, all wanting to see more of their newest and oddest member. Harry was ignored, thankfully, until the morning post arrived. He could hear Draco's east drawl explaining to Vox what just short of a hundred owls were doing in the Great Hall. He heard Vox's next question all too clearly.

"_What are owls?"_

Unfortunately, he was replying before hw even considered doing so.

"_Winged hunting birds that come out at night and can see in the dark."_

Vox smiled and hissed happily and all heads turned to look at Harry at that moment. Harry sunk down in his seat. The cold hand on his shoulder stopped him. Vox was dressed in out doors gear, robes and gloves and a cloak, but he was quite obviously still fairly cold.

"Go away Slytherin."

Vox's face fell in a frown.

"But Harry-"

It surprised Harry to hear the words in English.

"Vox, you don't belong here. Now go."

To give the snake his due, he did what was asked of him and left Harry alone for the rest of the meal.

It wasn't until half way through Charms when Professor Flitwick finally asked the sixth year Slytherin's to take up their wands that There was a low hiss from the back of the room, followed by the sound of Vox being hit lightly with the back of Draco's hand. The snake boy rubbed the back of his head and then repeated his question in halting English.

"What's a wand?"

The words made the class fall silent, then a rather confused looking Professor Flitwick told Vox to go to the Headmaster's office. Vox didn't know where it was, and so Filtwick told Draco to go with him. The two left in a swirl of black.

"I don't understand," Said Draco as they made their way along the coridoor. You knew we were wizards but you don't know what a wand is?"

"Where I come from, Wizard's make light flow from their fingers."

As they descended a staircase Draco stopped and turned to look at his scaled companion.

"Where do you come from Vox?"

The snake pondered the question, keeping his eyes on his feet. It was his habit while walking, as though he needed to see his socked feet on the stone in order to know he was still walking upright. They had reached the stone Gargoyle now, but Draco didn't know the password anymore than Vox did and when it sprang to life they just stared at it and shrugged. Luckily for the pair, the door behind it opened and Dumbledore stood there dressed in purple, silver star spangled robes.

"I thought I'd find you boys here. Come, I feel it wise to hold this meeting in another room."

Draco rolled his eyes and Vox frowned slightly but neither said anything as the Headmaster lead them up a few flights of stairs to a small room furnished with three comfortable chairs and a large fire place. Instantly Vox went to it and crouched down in front of the flames, smiling happily.

"Vox," Dumbledore spoke in soft measured tones and the snake boy turned slightly at the sound of his name, "Why don't you answer Mr. Malfoy's question?"

Vox sat back on his heels before sinking into a cross legged postion.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't remember."

The rest of what Draco referred to later as the 'impromptu meeting' went well, but for every question asked of Vox, he had an enigmatic on confusing answer. When he was asked how he got here he ignored the question altogether and simply sat staring at the fire. What was clear was his total lack of knowledge of the wizarding world, the muggle universe and earth. And Draco at least came to understand that the snake boy had come from a place _very_ different from their own. He didn't mention this to Dumbledore of course, there was no love lost between the Slytherin and the old man.

The 'meeting' didn't finish until lunch was just about to start and so Draco and Vox made their way back to the Great Hall. What surprised Draco was that Vox didn't need him to lead the way, and didn't put a foot wrong all the way to the place.

"How come you know the way back already?"

"Map."

Draco scoffed.

"There aren't any true maps of Hogwarts, and I doubt you own one."

Vox stopped and turned, tapping the side of Draco's head with long nail-less finger.

"In here. What's Hogwarts?"

"It's the name of- oh never mind." Draco sat heavily in his chair and waited for the snake boy to slip into the seat next to him. Vox didn't, instead choosing to walk all the way down to the end of the table and make his way back up to sit opposite Draco.

"I want to show you something."

Draco leant forwards, his interest piqued to listen closely to what Vox had to say. Vox let out a soft hiss, with a little lilt in its tone.

"What did you say?"

"I trust you." Vox intoned and Draco wondered how you could say so much in two seconds of a single vowel, "I can't show you everything. I do not remember…the right words…magic is thinner here."

"Show me what?"

"This."

Draco noticed then that Vox had his hands clasped. Slowly the boy unlocked his fingers and raised one hand away from the other. In the palm of his hand danced a tiny flame. Before Draco could say anything the flame grew, elongated, changing shape in Vox's hand to follow his other hand into the air. When it was about a foot tall the flame twirled until lying in snakeskin palms was a single feather made of flame, tinted with hairlines of blueish green.

"Wow."

But Vox wasn't done yet and although Draco's eyes stung from watching the bright flame so closely he forced himself to watch as the shape twisted and changed becming longer, bigger, edged with green now rather than laced with it. Gold green, like Vox's eyes. Aflame-skae wound around the boy's arm, raising its pointed head to brushed the edge of a forked tongue across Vox's cheek. The snake boy smiled and let out a low hiss, a question. Then everything changed.

Draco felt just afterward as though he was dreaming but not dreaming, a strange sort of waking vision, and a moment of pure and total faith.

He saw Vox, standing and dressed all in a strange garb of close fitting leather, a twisted silver crest of his chest with some sort of helmet drawn over his head. His hair was braided back and in his hands was a long staff made of green-gold fire topped with the image of a snake with red eyes. And all around was raging fire and heat and Draco suddenly felt very small and very alone and very afraid.

Like all things, the moment passed and Draco found himself staring at Vox's empty hands, the flame snake was gone.

"What…" Suddenly Draco struggled to find words in his own language, "What was that? Did I really see…What happened?"

Vox smiled.

"You saw my world," he said, "And the life I left behind."

It took Draco more than a few seconds to realise that his new friend has spoken in parcel tongue, and a few more for him to realise he had understood the words.


	6. Hear All, Speak None

Chapter 6: Hear All, Speak None

Draco lay in bed that evening with his mind reeling. What was it he had seen? Vox's world? That sheet of flame? And the figure had been so different from the one lying in the bed next to him. This was seemed small, though no longer shivering, he had extra blankets and it seemed the house elves had installed some sort of magic heat field around the bed, step within six inches of the bed and the temperature rose about eight degrees. The Vox in his vision of the other hand was a warrior. A warrior with terrible, beautiful, pupil-less eyes.

He listened to the other boys falling asleep around him. Draco hadn't spoken much all afternoon, too overwhelmed to actually focus on doing any work whatsoever. He could understand parcel tongue. Understand it seemed, but not speak. Hear all, Speak none, Vox had said in English, cryptic as always.

"_Draco?"_

By now Draco knew the undulated hiss that translated to his name and let out a soft "hmm?" to show Vox that he was listening.

"_What I showed you today. I'm sorry."_

"Why?" Draco heard his companion roll over to face him and so he opened his eyes to see Vox sitting on the edge of his bed, sheets over his lower half, looking at him.

"_You haven't spoken to me all afternoon. You're angry with me."_

Draco had noticed that the snake boy spoke more in parcel tongue than in English, he still seemed to have trouble stringing his words together properly.

"I'm not angry with you Vox. I'm thinking."

"Oh."

All was silent for a while before Draco decided on a first question.

"How is it that I can understand you now?" he queried, it seemed the most appropriate question, Draco just wished that he could frame the endless Who? What? Where? Why? How? Into something slightly more eloquent.

Vox smiled, as though this was something he approved of, and answered in parcel tongue.

"I have showed you part of my memory, part of my soul. So you have knowledge of something of mine. I chose to give you what you call parcel tongue."

"Chose?"

"Yes. But I have taken nothing from you."

"I don't understand. I can't speak parcel tongue."

Vox smiled.

"You can. You did last night."

Draco blanched as he remembered his exasperated hiss.

"What did I say?"

"Imbecile." Vox replied in English, looking wryly happy.

"Sorry."

At that Vox let out a slow soft hiss.

"What?"

Vox repeated the sound.

"It means sorry. _You may as well start learning somewhere."_

"You're teaching me parcel tongue?"

Vox visibly flinched, pulling his legs up onto the bed.

"I thought you might want to learn."

"I do want to learn Vox," Draco sat up and leant forwards to place a hand on Vox's shoulder, drawing the gold green gaze back him, "I was just surprised."

Vox nodded, smiling and the two boys returned to their beds. Draco only had one more question.

"Vox? How did you get that scar?"

The snake boy rolled over, all but invisible under his blankets.

"Where they cut off my tail."

Time passed at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry the same as it always had. Except for three of its students. Vox, Draco Malfoy and, of course, Harry Potter who was beginning to feel that he had never spent a moment of his life in the school in what everyone else could consider normality. The snake boy was still the talk of the school three weeks after his induction at the second sorting ceremony of the year. One of the reasons for this was the Vox had no wand, and as a consequence couldn't master any of the spells required of him. He was good at potions though, and herbology. The boy, unfortunately did not have the stomach for astronomy and lying out in the cold staring at the stars for an evening of a week had proved to be practically lethal the first time they tried it. Instead, Vox spent those evenings with the headmaster.

Dumbledore grew more frustrated daily with Vox's lack of memory. Every question he asked either went unanswered or was countered with another, often completely unrelated question. The always serene headmaster didn't let it show how troublesome he found the boy, as every other teacher said how good his behaviour was, even though he couldn't manage spells and often had to be reminded to speak in the correct language.

Draco learnt more and more of Vox's language each day, though no one had the brains to notice until Pansy heard the boys holding a conversation in the common room one Wednesday evening. It was rippling through the school like wildfire and the news made Harry blanch when he heard the whisper. _Draco Malfoy can speak parcel tongue._

However it was Care of Magical Creatures that Vox enjoyed the most. That particular lesson They were all standing out on the lawns near Hagrid's cabin, Vox wrapped up, as always in more layers than anyone could count, when Hagrid announced that they were to be studying a sea serpent.

The Gryfindors followed by the Slytherins all trouped inside the large wooden shed that had been built out in grounds over the summer to house the Care of Magical Class during bad weather and other such emergencies when working outside became highly impractical. At the front of the room was a large glass tank, and inside it was the sea serpent. About five metres long the blue-scaled creature had a horse-like head and a long sinuous body with a finned tail.

"She's only a baby," Hagrid explained, "But she's quite tame. I'm feeding her plenty of fish and the odd bit of red meat. We've only got her here for a month so we have to be very careful with her."

Usually when presented with situations such as this, Draco would have made some snide comment. No longer however as the sea serpent raised her head out of the water and laid her jaw on the edge of the tank which was about eye level for most of the students who were keeping well back from the three-inch fangs they could all see protruding from her mouth.

The serpent let out a long slow hiss. Harry flinched, Draco smiled and Vox went forwards and bowed to the sea serpent.

"Thank you my Lady."

Hagrid stared and the class twittered. Ron dug Harry in the ribs to remove the shocked expression from his face. They all watched Vox and the sea serpent hold a conversation for a few minutes until Hagrid demanded that someone translate what was being said. To everyone's shock and surprise, both Harry and Draco started talking at the same instant, and the conversation that was haltingly spoken aloud by two voices in not quite harmony went something like this.

"_Such a surprise to see one who can remember his manners."_

"_My Master trained me well, Lady. Your name?"_

"_Selsena, you are quite a darling aren't you,"_ At this point the Serpent reared to lean her head down further to look directly into Vox's eyes, _"What is your name love? Where is it that you herald from? I'm afraid I have never had the pleasurable opportunity of meeting one of your kind before."_

"_My name is Vox, Lady Selsena, I come from a world different to this one."_

"_Where is that love?"_

"_Samith-Seth."_

The sea serpent's eyes widened in shock at the sentence and then her whole body rippled in a long snake laugh which made water lap over the edge of the tank onto the floor. A few of the girls squealed as water washed towards them.

"_Oh dear boy, you are teasing me. All our kind know Samith-Seth to be a legend."_

Vox's mouth set itself in a slight, knowing smile.

"I come from Samith-Seth. The lands of Wre-Wreneth lie to the South and the great empty plains of Tueln-Tunth to the North and East." "It is true. You come from paradise. You are an Amwhenim!" 

Vox shook his head sadly.

"No Lady. I had a tail and I am a warrior. I was one of the Kamen-Rah."

At that point Vox fell silent as he and the sea serpent realised that they were being overheard. The snake boy turned on the class, gold-green eyes blazing and he silenced Draco with a look. Suddenly his eyes fell and the anger retreated.

"As soon as the headmaster hears this I'm finished."

"Vox! Wait!" 

The snake boy turned to see the two archenemies standing next to each other, grey and green eyes wearing matching looks of distress. He glared at the pair of them and stormed off into the dormitory. Harry couldn't follow and Draco left him standing there looking worried and disappeared after the snake boy without a second glance. He caught up with the snake as he crossed the common room and grabbed his arm.

"Get off me Draco!" 

Draco blinked. People never ordered him around. Then again Vox knew nothing of the power of the Malfoy family and Draco had never bothered to explain. The workings of much of the wizarding world were still totally unknown to the snake-boy. His hand however stayed where it was.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked in a soft voice, unable at that moment to find the right words to ask the question in Vox's favoured language.

The snake looked distraught.

"I didn't remember the names until I began to speak, and know they know and Dumbledore will never let me go!" Vox fell to his knees as Draco's hand released him, as though he suddenly lacked the strength to stand on his own.

"Let you go?" Draco echoed the hiss.

Vox looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I want to go home Draco. I miss the fire, the heat. I miss my Master and I miss fighting."


	7. Revision

Chapter 7: Revision

That afternoon Draco and Vox returned to classes. They had not been visited by Snape or the headmaster, though Vox was convinced that it was only a matter of time. The pair avoided running into anyone as they made their way up to Defence Against the Dark Arts. That year, no suitable teacher had been found to take the subject and so the classes were on a rota with other teachers. This month it was Snape that was taking our class for potions.

"Revision," he snapped, "Boggarts. I have one and you are all to face it in turn." Snape never was one to mince his words, "Zabini's up first."

Once released from it's box, the boggart emerged as a very large and rather interesting tiger that scared Blaise senseless before he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. The tiger lost all its fur at the wave of a wand. At the back of the room, Draco was hurriedly trying to explain to Vox what was expected of him.

"Draco!"

The blond haired boy flinched, expecting Snape to call him up to face the boggart. Instead Snape pointed to Vox.

"His turn."

Vox stepped forwards to face the boggart which had just been turned into a zombie in failed designer clothing by Pansy and the creature vanished.

The class as a whole jumped, looking very surprised. Snape looked slightly confused. No, not vanished. The boggart was there, mist around Vox's feet. The snake boy was shivering violently. The boggart changed again, a man, a human holding a long knife in one hand, gloating as he approached Vox.

"Now you dirty little devil child…" The rest was lost as the boggart changed again and again. Fast flash images each only lasting a few seconds. A black leviathan; a cage, empty and desolate; a wall of bright orange flame; mist curling close, cold; a man, snake like with orange scales wielding a pair of swords; a hoard of small beetle creatures that swarmed up over Vox's feet before vanishing; a great beast past way between a wolf and a cat with blue fur, roaring wide, jaws lined with three rows of two inch teeth; the man with the swords again, and Draco recognised the silver crest on his front before he vanished; another cage.

Then the images began flashing past too quick for the eye to catch and Vox, trembling on the floor, eyes wide with abject terror. Draco, who if he was truthful had never really had a friend who liked him for just being him, stepped forwards, wand in hand, to attract the boggart's attention. Snape flung out an arm to stop him.

"Professor!"

"Wait. Let him deal with it!"

"It'll kill him!" Draco said, the concern making a mockery of his usual drawl.

"Not if it can't decide on a shape it can't."

Draco turned his eyes back to his friend. Vox had curled over, a bundle of black robes, his long hair falling in his face. The boggart resumed the shape of the human with the knife and suddenly Vox was glowing. A net of fragmented emerald and ruby fire exploded outwards from his form, growing larger and engulfing the boggart and some of the students. It didn't hurt them but the creature let out a wild shriek and with a last bang dissolved into a pile of ash. Vox remained on the floor, immobile. Without a seconds hesitation Draco ran forwards.

"Vox!" he laid a pale hand on his friend's shoulder and Vox fell backwards, eye open and blank, out cold.

"_Vox. Vox, wake up. It's time."_

_Vox opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his room lit by a deep orange glow from the eternal flames outside. His master was leaning over him, a hand on his shoulder. As his eyes opened the hand withdrew and Vox sat up and looked around. _

_The room was small but cosy. The bed, chest of drawers and a wardrobe. On the east wall was a large bay window with cream stone ledges on either side, worn smooth by generations of apprentices who had sat there and looked out on the view of Samith-Seth. Outside he could see the beginning of their flame corridor but little else from this angle. The red drapes around his bed swished as his Master withdrew to stand in the main part of the room. _

_Vox crawled out of bed, dragging a hand through his hair and flicking his long tail. His feet were bare on the stone floor, but the stone was warm, heated from underneath by the ever burning fires. He reached across to the chair where his clothes from yesterday were draped in a messy sort of charade of neatness._

"_Wait."_

_Confused, Vox turned to his Master and looked up at the man. Like Vox, he was scaled and snake-like, but his scales were the hue and markings of a corn snake, red and orange with streaks of white and black. His hair was kept short and coloured like his scales and he regarded the young boy with amber eyes. His Master was perfectly dressed almost as though he were going to ceremony, the traditional garb of a Master Warrior mirroring the colours of his scales._

"_Sir?"_

"_I have a present for you," it was then that Vox noticed the bundle under his aster arm, he frowned, "There is good news Vox. You are to be trained as a squire at arms."_

"_But I thought I was training to be a page?" asked the boy, confused by all this information so early in the morning._

_The great Warrior tutted._

"_You really think that they would let me train a page boy? I am a knight, such things are not for us. No lad, you are to be my apprentice and I will make you the finest warrior that ever lived."_

"_Truly sir?"_

"_Yes truly," The man leant over to ruffle the strands of Vox's hair, "now, a fast wash I think for you, and then this," He gestured to the parcel under his arm, "And then we must be off to your inauguration ceremony."_

"_Yes sir!"_

_Vox showered under the lava-heated water and returned drippy but scrupulously clean only a few minutes later. Master Arken tutted again, grabbed the towel from around Vox's shoulders and began to dry his hair. Vox stood silent while he did so, listening to his Master's good-natured grumbling. Finally done Arken stood him in front of the bed and turned him away from the mirror._

_First came the trousers, tight fitting legging of supple black leather, waist to ankle with a hole in the back for his long tail to slip through. The boots were brown suede moccasins, coming up to his knees, soft and light and flexible. Then came the tunic. Soft flame red fabric, almost the colour of the ichor the people of Tueln-Tunth bled. A high collar with fitted sleeves that went down to his wrists. At his waist the fabric split into loose hanging front and back panels. Lastly there was a close fitting sleeves leather jerkin in black also, with a collar that closed up tight around his throat in thick protective bands. _

"_You will be presented with your rank knots at the ceremony," said Arken slowly. Vox felt that there was more to that statement but he could only watch as his mentor removed a far smaller package from the confines of his robes._

"_I know that you are supposed to get your gloves at the ceremony too, but you are a special case Vox." The boy looked on as the package was opened in front of him, wondering. A warriors gloves denoted his skills. Archers used special gloves to protect their inner arm and their drawing fingers, fighters wore gloves that acted as shields also, and so on, but Vox had never seen a pair of gloves as glorious or as unique as the ones presented to him now. _

_Arken fitted them over his hands, and from his movements, reverent, Vox knew that his Master had made the gloves himself. The dark leather covered his two middle fingers entirely, leaving the index and little finger totally bare, and came up to the second knuckle on his thumbs. The gloves came just more than half way up his lower arms, almost to the elbow. On his palm, the material was cut and stitched in such a way as to give him perfect movement but on the back of the gloves were set little steel studs, shaped to increase the force of his punch if he so desired._

"_I am to be fist fighter then?" He asked, only slightly disappointed._

_Arken quickly shook his head._

"_No lad, these are not a fighter's gloves. These are warrior's gloves. There is something in you that speaks an archer to me, and yet not. By my own pride I would want you to wield swords as I do, but that too is wrong. No, you shall see when we get to the ceremony."_

_Vox looked up at his Master and saw the smile in his eyes. The great man knelt then to look his charge levelly in the eyes._

"_Vox. I am so proud of you. Your Father would have been proud of you too."_

_The young boy smiled, and knew it was true._

Vox lay in a bed in the hospital wing, eyes closed listening to the sounds of the voices around him. He drifted in and out of a warm hazy sleep, still clinging to the feel of his Master's touch, the love in his voice.

"Tell me again Mr. Malfoy," that was the headmaster's voice, "What happened to Vox. Speak slowly this time."

He heard Malfoy, closer to him, he sensed, take a deep breath before beginning and Vox heard the voice, lacking it's normal lazy drawl, tell the headmaster of the way the boggart creature had reacted to him and then of the fen-nire, the "net of broken fire" as Draco termed it, that had banished the boggart from existence.

He half heard Dumbledore's reply, interspersed with Snape's sharp tones before the bustling voice of Madam Pomfrey told them all that they must leave. Worried that his friend would be sent away Vox stretched out the fingers of one hand and they brushed, as he had expected against Draco's hand. Vox tightened his grip on the other boy as he felt Draco stand to move away, then stop and turn to him. Vox kept his eyes closed as quiet words were exchanged between the boy and the nurse and he felt Draco sit down again.

"_Vox?"_ The word was whisper soft and Vox smiled, his own language, his name. Never had the single syllable sounded so warm and welcome, even though there was a world of question and concern in the voice.

"_Yes?"_

"_Why…what…"_ Parcel tongue was failing Draco as he sat there, "What happened?" He murmured.

Vox rolled over still keeping a grip on the hand that now brushed against his face.

"_I am one of the Kamen-Rah. The Damned."_

The next day Madam Pomfrey was very reluctant to let Vox go, despite the boy's protests that he was fine and felt perfectly well. Eventually however, since she received no further orders for the headmaster she was forced to let Vox attended class when Draco and the rest of the sixth year Slytherin boys came to fetch him.

Class that dat passed without any problems and Vox and Draco began to hope that maybe the details of what had passed between the sea serpent and the snake-boy had not reached his ears, and maybe never would.

It was a false hope however as ten minutes before the end of double potions, the last lesson, one of the headmaster's owls arrived bearing a note which commanded Vox to go to Dumbledore's office. A look passed between the boy and his companion and before Snape had time to even stop him, Vox fled from the room, and it was clear from the look on his face that he was not going anywhere near the office.

Vox raised jade gold eyes from his feet to see the dark haired figure of Harry Potter standing in the snow just beyond the trees. When the note from Dumbledore had come and Vox had ran he had gone straight out into the grounds, ignoring the cold as best he could and tracking clear to the edge of the forest. The canopy of braches meant that no snow had fallen here and it was mildly warmer, but Vox was shivering, teeth chattering.

"Vox…" 

The snake boy shivered and drew his arms tighter around his knees. The only look he could remember was that one of dismissal.

"_I'm sorry Vox." _There was a crunching sound as the snow was crushed under Harry's boots. He took a few steps forward, then halted on the very edge of the forest, _"I never meant to turn you away."_

"_Why should I forgive you?"_

"_Because I'm sorry."_

"_I know."_

They were in silence for a while before Harry held out a hand towards the other boy.

"_Come on, let's find you somewhere warm."_


End file.
